4k GT86 Gets a Rocket Bunny Kit & LS3 V8 Swap!

4k GT86 Gets a Rocket Bunny Kit & LS3 V8 Swap!

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Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Thursday 9th April 2020
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This week I got the issues resolved with the handbrake shoes by fitting the new pins. While I was there I also fit some new longer 63mm wheel studs before continueing work on the rear brakes. I had to cut away some of the dust shield to get them to fit but finally they were on and looking awesome! All i had to do then was bleed the system and it was good to go, Nice.

Next video will be showing off and fitting the new wheels, can't wait!




Edited by Samjeev on Wednesday 13th May 01:16

Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Friday 17th April 2020
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Another update and a very exciting one. Fitting and talking about the Work Meister M1 Wheels!


So happy with how they turned out and how they fit/look. Looking quite aggressive at the moment thanks to all that wheel poke which should be resolved with some cutting, drilling and fitting of my Rocket bunny kit which I can't wait to get started on now!
Check out the below link to see how they came out!





















Edited by Samjeev on Wednesday 13th May 01:16

MrsMiggins

2,809 posts

235 months

Friday 17th April 2020
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I'm really enjoying watching the transformation, even though I'd never consider taking it on with my BRZ. Hope the lockdown is giving you all the excuses you need to fettle!

Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Saturday 18th April 2020
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MrsMiggins said:
I'm really enjoying watching the transformation, even though I'd never consider taking it on with my BRZ. Hope the lockdown is giving you all the excuses you need to fettle!
It has indeed. I was really lucky to get the workshop just before the lockdown took place so that I can work on it when i want to but also lock it up and walk away when I get stuck or hit a snag in the road.

Happy to hear it's been good fun to watch and follow along with the progess!

10

35 posts

165 months

Thursday 23rd April 2020
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Just read through the whole thread, love the wheels and loving forward to seeing the final (these things are never finished) car!

Clio V6 spotted! Yours?

Samjeev said:


Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Thursday 23rd April 2020
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It has begun!
This week I've started installing the Rocket Bunny v2 kit!

Starting off with the easiest bit I chose to go for the front bumper first which had it's own set of challenges involved. The easy bits was clearing a few bits away behind the bumper, including the bumper/wing brackets, headlight washers, polystyrene thing over the crash support as well as spraying the crash support matte black however I was then wrestling with the bumper trying to get it on thanks to the headlight surrounds.
After coming to the conclusion to ditch them for the time being and potentially shave down, revise and re-fit them at a later date the bumper went on incredibly easy, a few bolts and clips later and it was installed!

P.S - For anyone that was wondering "So how filthy was your air filter considering it's been totally stuck behind your front bumper for almost 2 years with no access to it?" surprisingly it was totally clean and clear for the most part, I was expecting it to be much dirtier but was quite surprised myself.

Next i'll be moving on to the front arches but for now i've got the bumper saga online on my youtube channel:










Edited by Samjeev on Wednesday 13th May 01:18

Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Thursday 23rd April 2020
quotequote all
10 said:
Just read through the whole thread, love the wheels and loving forward to seeing the final (these things are never finished) car!

Clio V6 spotted! Yours?
Glad to hear you've enjoyed the read!
It's not mine unfortunately. The chap I bought the Rocket bunny kit from in Germany had the Clio cocooned in storage as you can see, must be hanging on to it as an investment perhaps.

Mark Benson

7,515 posts

269 months

Friday 24th April 2020
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Just catching up on this thread, seems I was doing my brakes around the same time as you:



....and I had all the same issues smile

Enjoying the videos too thumbup

Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Monday 27th April 2020
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Once again very glad to hear the videos are a hit biggrin

As you can tell it's been full steam ahead on the 86 with the recent goings on and i've managed to get another big step finished at the end of last week just before my birthday - Making the first big cuts on the car and installing the front Arches!


It was a big step to get at the car with the angry tools but it went by so quickly and came out quite well. You'll see from the video and pictures just how much I decided to cut away but what isn't quite shown is how many times I went back to tidy up the cuts.
So far i'm just going around the car to get the initial cuts sorted, rust proofed and the arches fitted with the supplied self tapping screws (yes, really!) before i eventually go around the whole car once again for a second revision pass where i'll remove the panels, clean up any rough cuts, better rust-proof the affected areas with a proper sanding back, primer and underseal as well as shaving down any high spots on the Rocket bunny panels that can lead to a nicer smoother fit and finish on the kit overall when they're resolved and of course drill out the holes made by the screws using them as guides for my Rubber Well-nuts and bolts!

Below is the latest youtube video showing off the whole process:



And some follow up pictures!












Edited by Samjeev on Wednesday 13th May 01:18

Big Tomm

67 posts

52 months

Tuesday 28th April 2020
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I’ve followed your thread from near the start, despite not being a huge fan of the GT86 (no idea why, nothing against them I’ve just never had any experience with them I suppose) and found it quite interesting. I’ve done a few write off repairs myself and it’s cool to see you repair it and then go a few steps further.

I am a fan of rocket bunny and have been ever since things like 200sx were affordable so it’s great to see one being fitted.

However I seem to remember a struggle for you to find decent condition red wings? Then in your last post I saw how you’ve had to cut them. Hats off for having the confidence to do that!

I will continue to follow with interest.

Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Friday 1st May 2020
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Another video is up on the channel.
I don't think there's much to say about this one other than the fact that i installed the side skirts and by the end of it the car was looking AMAZING.

Check it out!



Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Friday 1st May 2020
quotequote all
Big Tomm said:
I’ve followed your thread from near the start, despite not being a huge fan of the GT86 (no idea why, nothing against them I’ve just never had any experience with them I suppose) and found it quite interesting. I’ve done a few write off repairs myself and it’s cool to see you repair it and then go a few steps further.

I am a fan of rocket bunny and have been ever since things like 200sx were affordable so it’s great to see one being fitted.

However I seem to remember a struggle for you to find decent condition red wings? Then in your last post I saw how you’ve had to cut them. Hats off for having the confidence to do that!

I will continue to follow with interest.
For me the looks hooked me on the 86 but having had one and driven it on the road, track and doing a few skids I have to say it's a fantastic RWD platform. I've not driven many other Front Engined RWD Platforms to compare it to but I think I wouldn't be too crazy to say it's definitely a fairly good example.

I did struggle to find a Red wing originally however that's just because I didn't want to pay out to have a new one painted laugh the biggest confidence kick is cutting the rear arches which I had to do the other day (not overly happy with the results but it's no disaster) as of course they're somewhat irreplacable.

Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Monday 4th May 2020
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So as last week closed out I got the rear arches installed on the car and the big cuts to the rear body of the car made.

I really can't say I did a good job at it, infact i'm still quite regretful. It's no the end of the world that's for sure and everything is nicely covered up by the arch as well as having the inner and outer skin of the arch closed back up with all new nice sheet metal however it's more the size and quality of the cut im regretful over.

Check out the video to see for yourself where I talk about it in more detail as well!




Below are a few pictures of tthe finished product however!







therealsamdailly

328 posts

63 months

Monday 4th May 2020
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looks awesome

will you get away with spacing the rear wheels another ~10mm ?

Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Tuesday 5th May 2020
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therealsamdailly said:
looks awesome

will you get away with spacing the rear wheels another ~10mm ?
Cheers smile
I probably can but i'll worry about little changes like that after i've had finished faffing around with the kit, getting it welded up and the car wrapped, etc.

ZX10R NIN

27,615 posts

125 months

Tuesday 5th May 2020
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Looking good the wheel fitment looks spot on.

Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Sunday 10th May 2020
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Cheers for the kind words on the semi-finished product, i'm really chuffed with how its coming out!

but as another week comes to a close so to comes another update on the 4k GT86

this week i started working on installing... then uninstatlling and modifying the Rocket bunny diffuser on the GT86.
It was really easy to fit after cutting the OEM diffuser however my goal has always been to modify and integrate tthe original "V" Fog light/Reverse light combo rather than install the Rocket bunny supplied reverse light. I started this process by cutting both the OEM diffuser as well as the rocket bunny diffuser to carry out this modification.

I'll continue this next week following some messy glass fibre work but for now I also checked out the Liberty walk spoiler for the car. It looks fantastic but there's no obvious way to fit it without simply using 3m Tape/Polyurathene sealent. I want to try and make a plate or bracket to hold it down with a few bolts just incase the tape/sealent were to ever fail.
I talk about all this and alot more in the lates video on my channel:









Edited by Samjeev on Wednesday 13th May 01:16

aka_kerrly

12,419 posts

210 months

Sunday 10th May 2020
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This thread is bloody glorious, I can't believe Ive only just found it!!!!!!!!

Even the current two tone look is super cool and top marks for the wheel fitment!!

Samjeev

Original Poster:

725 posts

121 months

Sunday 10th May 2020
quotequote all
aka_kerrly said:
This thread is bloody glorious, I can't believe Ive only just found it!!!!!!!!

Even the current two tone look is super cool and top marks for the wheel fitment!!
Haha really glad you enjoy it! Good to hear people are finding it and giving it a good read through. Truthfully i've given it a re-read from time to time to re-live these last couple of crazy years laugh

aka_kerrly

12,419 posts

210 months

Sunday 10th May 2020
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Jap coupe with a Rocket Bunny kit is a club I want to join.
I'm one of the many hoping GT86s will drop a teeny bit more before I get involved... these kind of threads are not helping.

Keep up the good work.